position: relative; Boris Becker has been branded a "devil" by his estranged wife. Sampras told me that he was only 26 years old at the time. With 59 previous matches,Nadaland Djokovic have battled more times in their rivalry than any players in history, ATPTour.com said. WILSON Tennis 295540095225 Sampras was a true champion and was respected by his peers for his great sportsmanship. There was a point during the first set and even the second when Djokovic was able to claw back from a set down. ATP Men's Grand Slam Champions. If you could only win one slam, which would it be? Nadal was injured in his second round match in Australia and has not played since January. Took him out in Australia in '95, then in '00. He also had a strong backhand and was an excellent volleyer. WILSON Tennis Racket Pete Sampras Comp 26 model PWS Graphite. Sampras has been impressed by Novak Djokovics achievements thus far, and he believes he has even more to give. Regarded as one of the best Australian Open tournaments in history, the 2009 final fittingly threw up another classic Federer vs Nadal clash. . His head-to-head record against Sampras became even after Sampras had won in Germany and finally at the French Open in 1996. Rafas weakness is his return, and Sampras would use his forehand to disrupt Nadal at the baseline.. the USO and AO. This was the third-consecutive time that Federer and Nadal were contesting the Wimbledon final, with Federer winning the preceding two. And its true, Rafa hasnt faced anyone of Sampras skill level who would attack him so relentlessly. Probably would trade an AO though. Hercog, a former world No 35, confirmed that she hasn't retired and revealed her plans to return at some point in 2023. 1. Hewitt losing early due to chicken pox and Agassi withdrawing make this a huge chance for Sampras if he can get by Safin - he's a definite favourite over Haas and Johansson. Magnus Larsson beat Sampras 4 times, that must be in the top 10. The recent viewed H2H Statistics are: N. Djokovic - T. Griekspoor. The only sport in which he has dominated more than anyone is on clay. http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?search/1705361/, http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/indes-mens-singles-trophy-the-sampras-cup.555296/. Rafael Nadal has won 91 ATP titles in his career, four more than Novak Djokovic (20). The 2017 Australian Open saw both Federer and Nadal defy age and perception to showcase their class and longevity by making it to the final. Reply [deleted] . It's as prestigious as the other 2 e.g. Head-to-head records . margin-right:15px; The Swiss maestro began as the favourite but Rafael Nadal produced one of the most standout matches in his career to beat the fancied Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 in a rain-interrupted final. Federer is maybe a different matter but I'd still back Sampras head to head. .tourney-details.action-buttons a[href*="watch-live"] { } Elliston Place Soda Shop will . What made Pete Sampras so great? But on a hard court and grass, Pete would have too much firepower. At the same time, though, Sampras has never faced anyone who hit his ground strokes with as much weight as Nadal. Federer has . Truthfully He didn't really have any other than the clay surface. The rivalry between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic captivated the sporting world for more than a decade, yet that day in 2001 would be the only time Federer and Sampras went head-to-head. The duo have faced each other 18 times at a grand slam: three times at Wimbledon, three times at the US Open, twice at the Australian Open and ten times at the French Open. .is-desktop .atp-logo{ Yet while more vocal rivals often grabbed the Rafa is at 6th with 209 weeks at Number 1. View rivalry results and stats for matches on the ATP Tour. Regardless, Nadal's 9 French are greater, than Pete's Wimbledons. That's true, but his problem was different. Sampras and Agassi have faced each other 34 times on the major circuit, with Pete leading 20-14 in the head-to-head balance. A 17-year-old Nadal set the tone for the rivalry with a 6-3, 6-3 win over the then two-time Grand Slam champion and world No. In order to play you must be a registered user. Who in everyones opinion are petes top 10 rivals throughout his career? Because the record in Us is only 5. If Petes go-to play would be the net rush, Rafas would be the same one that he has used to win hundreds of other matches: The high-kicking crosscourt forehand into his opponents backhand. Pete Sampras is well ahead of Nadal in the list of players who have won the most Masters 1000 titles, with 28 victories, but Nadal is far behind. Nadal, 27, faces Stanislas Wawrinka in Sunday's final, and a . . Sampras, understanding Nadal's superiority from the back of the court, would slide his first serves wide to Rafa's two-handed backhand in the deuce court; come in behind first and second balls . Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, however, were bound by mutual love and respect. Nadal also had other points of reference at a young age: "I was influenced by my current coach Carlos Moya, who has always provided me with useful advice. The only modern player who is better than Sampras is Fed, every other player are trying to catch him. Icons such as Bjrn Borg, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors get a special mention in the "GOAT" discussion, but for many people it's a choice of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or . Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have both won 22 grand slams. Sampras had a powerful serve and was known for his aggressive play at the net. . Chris Bowers is a freelance writer and broadcaster who has covered the global tennis scene for more than 20 years. However, a couple of meetings were enough for him to understand that the problem was not solved. Just as McEnroe and Connors were . The Spanish champion has decided to skip both Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics in an attempt to recover a good form, then returning to the hard courts in Washington. JavaScript is disabled. Only Wimbledon has universal appeal, so that the greats from all different tennis cultures (from Wilding through Tilden and the Musketeers, Hoad and Laver, Borg, Sampras, and the modern Big 4) prize it. Novak Djokovic . Nadal lost to Djokovic in the 2021 French open final, but Nadal beat him at the 2022 French Open quarter final, leaving their head to head at Nadal 29 /Djokovic 30. .summary-tbody td[data-type*='Rating'] { Failing on clay don't make Sampras incomplete, there are 6 surface fast hardcourt, slow hardcourt, indoor, carpet, grass and clay andhe is better than Rafa on 5 surface. Only 5 uso have been won by one man. }. Nadal is the only Spanish player, male or female, to win all four majors twice, to rank world No. Nadal, on the other hand, has racked up an impressive 19 Grand Slam singles titles, including an unprecedented 13 French Open titles. It was rare. "I think he's incredible," Sampras told BBC Sport. Later in the year, he won the Wimbledon Championships, matching Nadal and Federers 20 Grand Slam titles. padding-left: 0px; Competition ? Stats Comparison. A match made in heaven, Steve Flink says. Rafael Nadal (1970.04.29) Age 36 (1986.06.03) United States nadal sampras head to head By - May 29, 2021 0 0 The race to be named the tennis GOAT continues, but Roger Federer has opened up on the day Rafael Nadal The duo's professional Nadal simply had no answer to the "service-volley" game of the legendary "Pistol Pete" Perhaps because of his . During his career, Nadal has dominated on clay, losing only to Novak Djokovic twice in the 2012 and 2016 French Open semifinals. margin-left: 15px; display: none !important; Nadal has won three of those meetings. Eight of Federers20 wins came on grass at Wimbledon. Officials have confirmed that the pair's 59th career meeting will be the late match under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier. Despite this competitive era, Nadal continues to be the greatest clay court player in history; Djokovic is unquestionably the best in his sport right now. He has an outstanding backhand that is as close to perfect as any tennis backhand I have ever seen. The French Open tennis grand slam is played at Roland Garros in Paris, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Scott Barbour/Clive Brunskill/Getty Images. However, when they played each other on hard courts, Federer held a 147 lead, while Sampras had a 54 lead on grass courts and a 53 lead on clay courts. When the 2nd half of the season hit, he had no equals as he prevailed more times than not on the big stage in the big matches. If he was ever to retire, he might be the greatest player of all time. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more. Federer vs Sampras Head to Head Stats. Six years and one fewer job! Novak Djokovic e Rafael Nadal sono nella storia del tennis.La frase potr apparire pleonastica, basta guardare tutti i titoli e i record che continuano da oltre 15 anni ad accumulare (ultimo in . Djokovic has dominated on Melbournes hard courts with ten of his 22 slams coming in Australia. A man whose hard-nosed work ethic led to an unprecedented No. ", Nadal, 27, faces Stanislas Wawrinka in Sunday's final, and a win will see him equal, Sampras, 42, ended his career in 2002 with a record 14 major singles titles, only for Roger Federer to surpass him and amass, Sampras arrived in Melbourne on Friday in time to see. 1 Federer. FO has always been the red headed stepchild of the Grand Slams. The much-awaited game will see both men playing in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the 16th time. . Maybe towards the end when he had the records and wasn't nearly as motivated but during his heyday in the 90's. No, Sampras leads 8-6. Indeed, the idea of a Pete vs. Rafa throwdown generates a lot of curiosity and speculation, but not a lot of consensus as to how it would play out. Is considered a pigeon because Pete got the best of him at the biggest moments but he was truthfully anything but. "He's going to be dealing with Rafa, he's going to be dealing with his nerves - first major [final], he's going to be nervous, so he needs to settle down and work his way into the match. He won the 2016 Monte Carlo Masters title, his most recent ATP 1000 title, as well. ATP Player : Please enter the names (or part of the name) of the both ATP Players, you want to compare Head to Head. * Ever since Surface and Ba. Actually, most real tennis fans could care less about clay. "Realistically, he could very well get 17, 18 majors when it's all said and done. Pete Sampras (L) and Andre Agassi after their 2002 US Open final | AFP. The Spaniard has had the upper hand in Grand Slam matches, winning 10 matches to Federer's four and also leads the head-to-head in Grand Slam finals, winning six to Federer's three. Nadal is without a doubt the greatest clay court player ever. When looking at their head-to-head matchups, Nadal holds a slight edge with a record of 21-15. That used to be the case in the past. Also. The thing about Wimbledon is that it's still the tournament most non-tennis followers immediately associate with the sport. Also Read | Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic: Talking points ahead of the blockbuster clash at French Open 2022. Interestingly, Federer and Nadal never played a match against each other at the US Open. font-size:15px; Though their individual playing styles are vastly different, both have had tremendous success in the sport. He has a lot of years ahead of him in terms of his future. Both Sampras and Nadal have had tremendous careers and are considered two of the greatest players of all time. Nadal and Djokovic have played one match each after dark. Why certain tennis prodigies burned out early? } According to an ATP Tour interview with Greg Garber, Sampras believes Novak Djokovic is the greatest ever because his accomplishments over the last decade demonstrate this. Hilal . Although, Rafael Nadal is struggling to get back to peak form and fitness levels, he still is being counted as the favorite to win French Open this season. Overview. Nadal will be aiming for his 14th title at Roland Garros, which in itself can take the joint fourth-spot in the all-time Grand Slam tally alongside Pete Sampras' career tally of 14 majors. .atp-nav-list>.atp-nav-item { They next played each other in the final of the 2007 Wimbledon Championships, with Nadal again winning in straight sets. Like Roger Federer, Sampras would struggle to counter those shots with his one-hander. See the latest head to head statistics, with preview, predictions and schedules of the upcoming matches (ATP, WTA, Slams, Challengers) Ivan Lendl vs Pete Sampras h2h tennis stats Head-to-head: Sampras, 20-14. It's a minute difference at best, with some perhaps blinded by nostalgia. Roger Federer eventually triumphed 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; coming back from 3-1 down in the final set to win five games in a row and take his 18th Grand Slam title. However, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal then began to break most of his records. .tourney-details.action-buttons a[href*="watch-live"] { Federer vs Nadal H2H MATCHES PLAYED All Rounds Final 1/2 1/4 First Second Third Fourth Qualifying q-First q-Second Pre-q Rubber 1 Rubber 2 Rubber 3 Rubber 4 Rubber 5 Robin Bronze N/A While Djokovic looked in top form during his Rome triumph, Nadal was troubled by a chronic foot problem and lost in the Madrid quarter-finals before a third-round exit in Rome. Nadal and Sampras first played each other in the third round of the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, with Nadal winning in straight sets. The Serbian beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) on Rod Laver Arena and was overcome with emotion after sealing the straight-set win over the Greek third seed, said BBC Sport. Novak Djokovics victory at the Australian Open was not just his record-equalling 22nd grand slam title or his record-extending tenth in Melbourne it was also one of his most emotional. If you are already a Tennis.com user click the LOGIN button, otherwise create an account and start playing. Start your free trial, The GOAT debate, grand slam wins and big titles, Nadal vs. Djokovic: the rivalry and head-to-head record, Roger Federers retirement: an end to a magical era, Connectivity, Syrian diplomacy and French football, Elon Musk: mad genius now worlds richest. It was Nadals first Wimbledon title and fifth Grand Slam overall. Download Free Pete Sampras: A Champion Pete Sampras: A Champion . . Truthfully He didn't really have any other than the clay surface. background: none; Nadal, though, had just won his fourth-consecutive French Open, having beaten Federer in three-consecutive finals. .summary-tbody td[data-type*='Rating'] { In a recent interview with Number Web, the 35-year-old from Manacor revealed that he has been a huge tennis fan since he was very young. On the other hand, a racket with a smaller head will offer more control, but you'll need to be more accurate with your swings. . Nadal believes that he has more Grand Slam titles than he has won in his career (14). But, why do you think it's more prestigious now. Clear of what ? Because of this, he gained so much success on hard courts and grass courts. } Winning the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era. Since 2001, Nadal has reigned supreme on clay, reaching the French Open semifinals twice, losing to Novak Djokovic in 2012 and 2016, and winning the US Open. Sampras also holds the edge in overall career prize money, having earned over $43 million compared to Nadals $120 million. When Djokovic was asked, after winning his third AO title in 2012, what is the most important trophy he's ever won, he said that the AO is a tournament that has a special place in his hearth, because it was his first Major win, but he always dreamed about winning Wimbledon and holding the Wimb trophy, even as a child. It made the rivalry stand out like no other. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 30 wins to 28. 5 5 Three-time Wimbledon winner Becker spent seven and a Rafael Nadal. On the other hand, Pete Pete is relinquishing the intangible title to Novak Djokovic. Pete Sampras and Venus Williams were complete dicks to me, so something as simple as this goes a long way. Read more aboutour 50th Anniversary Celebrationandget caught up on all the matches so far. 1. Federer has won 20 of those meetings, while Sampras has won 14. Now level with rival Rafael Nadal on 22 grand slam titles, 35-year-old Djokovic has also returned to the No.1 spot on the ATP world rankings. This year has been a completely different story. position: relative; And Nadal is widely expect to draw level with the American on Sunday when he takes on Federer's fellow Swiss Wawrinka, playing in his first major final. Throughout his long career, Pete Sampras used only one grip and one racket model to master all of his strokes. In fact he said how he loved to see Pete Sampras vs Andre Agassi's challenges. Other than when he fell off the map, Agassi was always a huge threat everywhere. . Sampras also holds the edge in overall career prize money, having earned over $43 million compared to Nadal's $120 million. (1970.04.29) Age (1971.08.12) United States Birthplace United States 5'11" (180 cm) Height Hes been doing a great job of catching up to a number of guys lately. Sampras, understanding Nadals superiority from the back of the court, would slide his first serves wide to Rafas two-handed backhand in the deuce court; come in behind first and second balls; and chip-and-charge on Nadals second serve whenever possible. How To Choose The Right Tennis Racquet Length, The Importance Of Keeping Your Tennis Shoes In Good Condition. Fittingly, playing for Europe versus the Rest of the world in London, Federer teamed up with his greatest rival and friend Rafael Nadal in his farewell match. Djokovic-Nadal: 2006- 59 30-29 28 15-13 18 7-11 9 4-5 Djokovic-Federer: 2006-2020: 50 27-23 20* . Not sure about the FO but Becker did quite well there for like 5 years reaching 3 semis and even beating FO champions like Muster and Chang but he never really cared for clay anyway. But it is not as prestigious as the Championships e.g. Rafael Nadal - 912 weeks Jimmy Connors - 788 weeks; Roger Federer - 734 weeks; Ivan Lendl - 619 weeks; Pete Sampras - 565 . The physical oddities alone provided all the ingredients - Federers right hand to Nadals left, Federers elegant backhand to Nadals brawny forehand, Federers calm demeanour to Nadals ferocious roars. a[href*="540/draws?matchType=qualifier"]{ Partly because of Greg's opportunistic acquisition of. Rafter seemed to be of the tradition of play hard in competition, but have a beer with the boys afterwards, which obviously conflicted with Sampras' outlook. Sampras, 42, ended his career in 2002 with a record 14 major singles titles, only for Roger Federer to surpass him and amass 17 in his career to date. I do not know what you mean by 'real'. If, we're being hypothetical here, I'd say Us open. However, Bruguera had still one trick up his sleeve. GOAT debate over, Rafa is the chosen one. I care about the French, as much as I care about the other three. Wimbledon. He was well-known for his serve and volley combinations and served ace in high-pressure situations. JavaScript is disabled. In terms of big titles a trophy at a grand slam championship, the Nitto ATP Finals, an ATP Masters 1000 tournament or an Olympic singles gold medal Djokovic leads the way with 66 after his triumph at the 2023 Australian Open. There could be no sharper contrast.. Andre Agassi, his fierce rival, appeared in numerous Nike advertisements, earning millions of dollars. Denis Shapovalov 36 (1986.06.03) Age 23 (1999.04.15) . 1 Federer. . Andre won their first match 6-2, 6-1 but by the end of their tennis careers, Pete led their H2H 20 wins to 14 ( 20-14 ). Who better to comment on a match-up between two of the best players to ever grace the tennis court than another one of the all-time greats. Boris Becker and Pete Sampras faced off in the 1995 Wimbledon final. Sampras arrived in Melbourne on Friday in time to see the Spaniard beat Federer in straight sets in the semi-finals. However, Sampras has won both of their meetings in Grand Slam finals. The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Ball Must Bounce Within The Confines Of The Court To Be Considered In, The Perfect String Tension For Your Tennis Game, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: A French Professional Tennis Player, How To Wear Tennis Shoes With A Button Shirt, How To Feed Your Tennis Ball-loving YouTube Addiction. He also won their only other GS meeting. Australian Open: Sampras leads Nadal 2-1 Total slams: Draw Career slam: Nadal leads Sampras 1-0 Other numbers that matter: World Tour Finals: Sampras leads Nadal 5-0 Olympic Singles Gold: Nadal leads Sampras 1-0 Year Ending Number 1: Sampras leads Nadal 6-3 Weeks at Number 1: Sampras leads Nadal 286-141 Head to head versus main rivals: Draw Pete Sampras Andre Agassi 20-13. "But he's up against a tough guy, I think it's just a touch match-up for him. Now we will talk about their individual stats and compare them. Reasons, and Agassi led their head-to-head series 6-2 Borg, Boris Becker ; Pete Sampras vs Agassi. Nadal, who won 14 Majors in total, is still very much in his prime and is well on his way to overtaking Pete Sampras. (2 Australian Open & 4 US Open titles), tied with Andre Agassi for fourth-most behind Pete Sampras (7), Federer (11) and Novak Djokovic (13) in the Open Era. } Federer, though, has overshadowed Nadal at Wimbledon, leading 3-1. Not too many guys got multiple big wins in a row against Pete. Nadal played in four Davis Cup-winning teams during his career: 2004-08, 2009-2011, and 2011-12. Djokovic, as you know, has 11 slams clear and unencumbered, whereas Nadal has 3 apples + 11 oranges. Pete Sampras: Greatness Revisited - Steve Flink 2020-09 Pete Sampras is a central gure in the history of tennis, the dominant force in the game during the 1990's, and the greatest American male player of all time. borg too and laver depending on whether you count him. view detail. Which player is as much of a diva off the court as on? For tennis, it was undoubtedly the one between Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal. ", Miami TD James Blake compares 'incredible story' Emma Raducanu to Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic on 2019 Wimbledon final: Statistically, Roger Federer was better, ATP Dubai: Novak Djokovic falls to Daniil Medvedev and suffers first loss. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi played each other a total of 34 times with the first Sampras vs Agassi match being in Rome in 1989. In their careers, Sampras and Federer have played each other 34 times. Sorry to tell you that mate. His backhand and groundstrokes looked beautiful to me in every way. For example, he wanted to name Wimbledon 'Sampras cup' in one of his earlier threads he created - followed by a thread that wanted WTF trophy named the same? But even so, for him to be placed above Federer, Djokovic, Sampras and Borg et al is quite simply wrong. with 565. Pete Sampras was able to watch Rafael Nadal play live in the Australian Open for the very first time. View rivalry results and stats for matches on the ATP Tour. }. That's in addition to the 167,000 pay cheque he earned . PETE didnt have rivals, just guys who he let win from time to time before beating them up the next time they met. It may be worth the same points but as far as legacies go Wimbledon adds an extra luster. That's why apart from his last tournament at the 2002 US Open he didn't win a hardcourt Slam (and obviously no RG either) after age 25. Despite the fact that it is a close race, Sampras must win to advance in the rankings. .atp-nav-list>.atp-nav-item>a { Agassi and Rafter are #1 and #2 comfortably. "To see him play - he hits a very heavy ball, serves pretty well, he does everything," said the seven-time Wimbledon champion, who will present the trophy to the winner on Sunday, 20 years on from the first of his two Australian victories. Enter a display: none !important; I think that Pete was vexed by the British/Canadian Rusedski, a player who seemed to annoy him. Andy Roddick vs Rafael Nadal all matches, with stats on their H2H rivalry. Pete Sampras was one of the greatest tennis players of all time. I agree that 9 is still > 7 though. I do rank Sampras slightly higher than Nadal, but it's a tough one. Here are eight reasons why he is a better player than Pete Sampras. Watch, Will contest all 80 Lok Sabha seats with our alliances in 2024: Akhilesh, Indian table tennis talent waits for system to blossom, Wisconsin gurdwara attack: Sikh motorcyclists start ride against hate crimes, PSG's Achraf Hakimi given preliminary charges on rape allegation, Another temple vandalised by pro-Khalistan supporters in Australia, Pick a topic of your interest and subscribe. All rights reserved. Federer entered the Australian Open 16th in the world rankings after he had called off the 2016 season mid-way due to pain in his knee. . When the 2nd half of the season hit, he had no equals as he prevailed more times than not on the big stage in the big matches. Jennifer Coolidge: breaking the mould and the internet, US man dies from brain-eating amoeba after rinsing his nose, Novak Djokovic is now surely unrivalled in tennis history, This is probably the biggest victory of my life, Where: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, 2023 womens singles champion:Aryna Sabalenka, 2023 mens singles champion: Novak Djokovic, Where: Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, France, 2022 womens singles champion: Iga witek, 2022 mens singles champion: Rafael Nadal, Where: All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, London, England, 2022 womens singles champion:Elena Rybakina, 2022 mens singles champion: Novak Djokovic, Where: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, US, 2022 womens singles champion:Iga witek, 2022 mens singles champion:Carlos Alcaraz, Olympic singles gold medals: 1 (Beijing 2008), Roger Federer: 8 (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2017), Pete Sampras: 7(1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000), Novak Djokovic: 7 (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), Bjorn Borg: 5 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980), Wins at grand slams: Nadal 11, Djokovic 7, 2018 semi-final: Djokovic won 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 10-8, 2011 final: Djokovic won 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 2007 semi-final: Nadal won 3-6, 6-1, 4-1 (Djokovic retired), 2011 final: Djokovic won 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1, 2012 final: Djokovic won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5, Wins at Roland Garros: Nadal8, Djokovic 2, 2022 quarter-final: Nadal won6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4), 2021 semi-final: Djokovic won 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2, 2015 quarter-final: Djokovic won 7-5, 6-3, 6-1, 2013 semi-final: Nadal won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 9-7, 2008 semi-final: Nadal won 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(3), 2006 quarter-final: Nadal won 6-4, 6-4 (Djokovic retired). Novak Djokovic Roger Federer 27-23. The FO has been very popular with Europeans/South Americans, the USO with North Americas, and the AO with Australians. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal renew their 16-year-old epic rivalry as the tennis giants clash at the French Open on Tuesday with a semi-final spot at stake. .breakpoint-768 .sub-header-links{display:none;} With the addition of Sabalenka, the player field now showcases five of the world . He followed in the footsteps of Bjorn Borg to combine an icy demeanor on court with an equally brutal game to dominate tennis for nearly two decades. Beat him at RG in '92. The real role of coaches like Nick Bollettieri? I cannot say for certain whether or not Sampras ever played Nadal, but it seems unlikely given the age difference between the two players. Rob. After winning the 2023 Australian Open, Djokovic is now level with Nadal on 22 grand slam titles. Federer, on the other hand, missed out on equalling the then-record for most Grand Slam titles in mens singles (14) along with Pete Sampras. Nadal would obviously win the first set on clay, and Sampras would be favored to take the final set on grass. We have been very connected, especially the last 10 years. If he truly cared at the time he would have put in way more effort in the later stages of his career. Gradually, after a fairytale nish to his career when he won the 2002 U.S. Open, Sampras was For obvious reasons I have excluded Masters. ATP & WTA Andy Roddick head to head tennis search. A sport often takes centre stage when an era-defining rivalry plays out on the worlds biggest stages. The Commodores head to Knoxville on Thursday to take on the Volunteers. Rafael Nadal 41 (1981.08.08) Age 36 (1986.06.03) Switzerland Birthplace Spain 6'1" (185 cm) Height 6'1" (185 cm) 187 lbs (85 kg) . } width: 32px; On clay, Nadal comfortably dominates the head-to-head with a 14-2 record while Federer leads 3-1 on grass and 11-9 on hard courts. I still think Djokovic and nadal wouldn't have won more than 14 grand slams in the 90s with the surfaces, rackets, balls, surface specialists and deeper competition. She thinks that there is a transformational change in the Spaniard when he walks on the clay court. Nadal and Sampras have played each other four times. Rivalry: 1989 to 2002. I can't really talk about the years past 1997 because it was then when tennis started slowly to decline in my oppinion and newer players came along.